A defense that protects the government against tort lawsuits without the government's consent.

• A. Immunity
• B. Charitable immunity
• C. Sovereign immunity; governmental immunity
• D. Governmental immunity

Answer: (C)

Sovereign immunity is the defense that protects the government from being sued for torts unless it allows it or waives the immunity. The phrase “without the government's consent” directly captures this idea: the government cannot be sued unless it chooses to permit the suit through statutes or other waivers. This concept explains why the government typically cannot be sued for its official acts, preserving its ability to function without endless litigation.

While immunity in general is a broad idea, it doesn’t specify who is protected. Charitable immunity covers charitable organizations, not the government. The term governmental immunity exists and is used in some contexts, but the standard concept is sovereign immunity; or governmental immunity, acknowledging that both phrases convey the same fundamental protection when the government hasn’t consented to be sued.